Unemployment numbers rose this past month in both New Braunfels and Comal County, but state and local officials are forecasting a bright, long-term future for the regional economy.
The jobless rate in New Braunfels grew from 5.7 to 5.9 percent in September, while the number of unemployed in Comal County rose from 6.3 to 6.6 percent over the same period.
Both the city and county unemployment figures register well below the jobless rate of the state, at 8.3 percent, and the national unemployment rate of 9.8 percent.
During the worst economic slowdown in decades, Mayor Bruce Boyer said the economies of New Braunfels and Comal County have managed to remain resilient.
“Our area has weathered the storm fairly well,” he said. “We’re in pretty good shape compared to other municipalities, and traditionally we’re the last to be affected and first to get out of a slowdown like this. So, hopefully we’ll continue to see some progress and move in that direction.”
While increased unemployment isn’t a sign of progress, those losses continue to be offset by a growing number of jobs in the area, said Chamber of Commerce President Michael Meek.
“Even though we had a minor uptick in unemployment, our overall work force is still growing,” Meek said. “We’re in great shape in comparison to a number of places across the state and nation.”
The state comptroller on Thursday also predicted an “excellent” economic future for the Alamo area.
State Comptroller Susan Combs is expecting to see economic growth in the entire 19-county San Antonio region, including Comal, offset by continued opportunity in the areas of education, health care and tourism.
“Both statewide and regional employment growth are expected to accelerate in 2010 following slow growth this year,” said Combs in a Thursday press release. “Alamo regional employment should rise by 23 percent between 2003 and 2013, despite the current economic slump.”
Combs also cited Comal’s population explosion from 2000 to 2008 as a sign of continued economic expansion.
The county population grew by 40 percent over that span, with Guadalupe County growing by 31.6 percent.
With more people moving to the area, Meek expects companies and jobs to continue to follow.
“Being situated between two major metropolitan areas, we are in a unique position to attract employers and talented employees,” he said. “I predict that our labor force will continue to grow and our unemployment will remain relatively low.”
